[blackgirldev]

I worked retail in the early 90s at a huge chain of appliance/electronic stores. The managers were paid very well.

If you survived the politics of being moved from store to store, never knowing your schedule, and blatant, miserable sexual harassment ("hey let's go out for drinks and discuss how I might let you sell large appliances instead of small electronics"...oh wait..."you didn't go to my apartment...we have this opening an hour away that you have to take with no advancement opportunity".

Okay, assuming the sexual harassment is gone/obsoleted by solid company policy, there's the "chasm" from peon to management that you can only aspire to if you never make a mistake or make them quietly. Or never leave the job to get a degree. Or get lucky somehow.

Those positions at management level above peon required a lot of sweat equity and risk on the part of the worker bee. If it doesn't pan out, well, that's what...3-15 years of your real actual life flushed down the toilet.

I'm with GenX. Screw that noise.

[throwaway2037]

Thank you to share your experience. While I am not experienced in this area, I feel too many other posts are overlooking the _path_ to store manager. It is a brutal grind, and getting to the top is so much luck.